While You Were Sleeping
by Laura Kay
Summary: This is just a short scene missing from Tales from the Hood, near the end, on page 269, where those three little dots innocently lay. Major spoilers for the book, obviously. Cute, light bit of Relda/Canis fluff.


_This is just a short scene missing from Tales from the Hood, near the end, on page 269, where those three little dots innocently lay. Major spoilers for the book, obviously. Cute, light bit of Relda/Canis fluff._

While You Were Sleeping

Relda ran to the doorway of the small cabin, halting just behind Daphne. A small, lead ball of fear had settled in her stomach as soon as they had entered the theme park, and now it clutched and doubled in size as the Wolf that was her eldest granddaughter turned her gaze upon them.

"I'll fix this," Daphne said, putting the kazoo back to her mouth. Relda did her best to banish all her doubts and put her faith in the little girl. She knew Daphne was more than capable of using the weapon. Relda instead concentrated on the jar that the family had brought along, getting it ready to contain the dark shadow that was worming its way out of Sabrina.

Daphne carefully navigated the wriggling mass toward her and into the jar and Relda screwed the lid on tightly. The wind died as Daphne put down the instrument, and Relda looked closely at the contents of the jar. The shape swarmed around angrily, pushing and batting at the sides of the jar, hoping to find an escape. In the calm that formed in the absence of the wind, Relda found herself almost laughing at the mass that had caused so much trouble for her family, and especially for her old friend.

The calm faded at once as Daphne shouted for her sister. Relda ran into the cabin after her, toward Sabrina, who was lying still on the floor. "She's okay, _liebling_. Just knocked out," she announced after a quick inspection.

Jake came into the cabin behind Relda. As he moved Sabrina to the old, quilt-covered bed, Relda went back outside to join the others, leaving her son and granddaughter to care for the recovering girl. Charming and Snow White were on the porch tending to Hatchette who was moaning rather loudly as the pretty teacher bandaged his arm. The former mayor was rolling his eyes at the man's exaggerated whines. Robin and Little John were crouching a few feet away from the porch next to Mr. Canis, blocking her view of him. Preparing herself for the worst, she walked toward the two attorneys and the old man.

He was lying still on his back where Sabrina had dropped him. His eyes were closed but his thin chest was rising and falling easily. As she knelt down beside him, he opened his eyes and focused them on her face. And he smiled. She smiled in return, bigger and brighter than him, and then started to laugh. Then she lowered her head to his chest and started to cry. John and Robin decided it was a good time to excuse themselves, and moved off to give orders to the merry men milling about.

Canis weakly wrapped his arms around her, and waited for her to collect herself, as he knew she would. It didn't take long at all, and she was back to laughing. She laid down next to him on the lawn, her head still on his chest. "What a day," he said quietly. She nodded against him. "Sabrina?" he asked.

"She's fine. Unconscious. In bed." Relda gestured toward the cabin. "Are you ready to get up?"

Canis nodded. "Are you?" Relda nodded, too, and pushed herself back to her knees to help him sit up. Once he had, he wrapped his arms around her again, stronger this time, and held her close to him. "Relda," he whispered. "I can't even begin to thank you. For believing, all this time." She tried to interrupt, but wouldn't let her. "And I'm sorry, too. For—not believing in myself."

Relda had to will herself not to start crying again. She pulled back to look him in the eyes. Their foreheads rested together. "Just don't let it happen again," she whispered. He smiled at her, the movement still slightly peculiar on his face.

Then, without knowing who moved first, and completely unaware of the numerous pairs of eyes on them, they kissed, sweetly, almost chastely. They pulled apart, still smiling. Then, without talking, they helped each other stand, Canis leaning heavily on Relda, and walked into the cabin to join the rest of their family.


End file.
